Swim Tips? (asthma & shoulders)

[Miranda]

So I don't currently swim, but I have both other problems...

Asthma - have you talked to your doc? Do you ONLY have the albuterol inhaler? I found that didn't work for me, and was put on Flovent (daily) and Seravent (pre-work out). Which significantly improved my ability to breath. You need to tell your doc that you're having trouble swimming and breathing at the same time. The swim strokes are efficient, so that you can get the air your body needs, so long as your lungs are cooperative.

Shoulders, yes there are various stretches, I did 2 months PT after one of mine locked up for no apparent reason. Can your doc refer you to a PT, even for a couple of sessions? I'll have hunt on the 'net for the movements I was told to do - as in most things in PT, the exercises seem so simple, until they're YOURS.

Thx for mentioning that good point about the medicine. I have other meds I take besides my albuterol.

As part of my asthma action plan (knowing exercise is one of my triggers) I take my albuterol inhailer 15mins before to help open things up. I have a couple kinds of allergy meds I take twice a day.

I finally conceeded to taking Advair twice daily. First I used the powder diskus and it gave me mouth sores (even with rinsing as recommended). Now, I take the Advair in an inhailer form.

I have some side effects still, but the mouth sores went away. I tried going off of Advair to see if I really needed it. My inflamation came back.
I think I never realized how much inflamation I had before without it.

I have heard of the two medicines you take, but not sure if they are similiar to Advair? Advair contains both a steriod to reduce inflamation, and a long acting broncho-dialator.

Unfortunately, emotional upset can trigger my asthma too. Maybe I'm getting myself worked up too much and this doesn't help with swimming. When I'm on the bike, I'm ok with the help of my meds.

Even for having asthma, I think I am pretty cardiovascularly strong. And my lung capacity tests show "good" when I've done them at the doc's office. Sometimes I really wonder how much endurance fitness skews their test. I need to ask the doc that one next time I go.

About the pt... that would be good. We have to meet our deductable again being new year. Which is a bummer.

My mother had a repair surgery for a really badly torn rotator cuff once. I took care of here post-op. Man, that was a long nasty recovery.